Combined easel and handle carton



March 20, 1962 J. v. MASSEY ETAL 3,025,954

COMBINED EASEL AND HANDLE CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1961fnuerzi orzs'" \fo/uz, Y Massey,

March 1962 J. v. MASSEY ETAL I 3,025,954

COMBINED EASEL AND HANDLE CARTON Filed Feb. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2mal ow \]0k 72. I/Massqy,

Uited States atent 3,025,954 COMBINED EASEL AND HANDLE CARTON John V.Massey, Northbrook, and Robert H. Kaulfnss and William P. Kaulfuss,Chicago, Ill., assignors t0 Container Corporation of America, Chicago,111., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 91,720 2 (Ilaims.(Cl. 206-452) The present invention relates to cartons and containershaving a convenient carrying handle member and being readily adaptablefor use as a supporting rack or easel.

Important objects of the invention are to provide a simple andeconomical construction which includes a relatively shallow carton orcontainer member capable of holding a supply of cards or sheets of paperand including parts attached to the container which may be utilized as acarrying means in one position and which may be employed in anotherposition as an easel support so that printed cards can be displayed onthe easel or such easel may be used to support cards, canvas boards orthe like upon which a person may sketch or paint.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combined carton andeasel in its carrying position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken along line 3-3 ofFIG. 2, showing the closure means for the carton;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing how the construction may beexpanded; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective View showing the expanded construction supportedon a flat surface and utilized for display purposes.

The construction of the combination easel and handle carton, made inaccordance with the present invention, readily lends itself to a numberof specific uses. For example, it may be employed as a portfolio forstudents who desire to carry a supply of drawing boards or sheets, or itmay be used by persons in selling or sales promotion activities whorequire a convenient means for displaying as well as storing explanatoryplacards.

The carton member is preferably rectangular with narrow edge walls andwith a hinged closure along one of its normally upright edges. A panel,hingedly related to a carton edge, is arranged to swing a limitedangular distance to form a brace to support the carton in an upright,inclined position. A flexible member, preferably comprising two foldablyjoined panels, is connected to the carton and to the bracing panel tohold it at a desired angle to the carton when the construction is usedas an easel or display support. Two handle panels are employed, onebeing hinged along a closed edge of the carton and the other beinghinged to the bracing panel. When the construction is being used as aneasel or for display, the handle panels are folded outwardly. Eachhandle panel preferably has an abutment or retaining element disposed inspaced relation to the respective panel hinges to keep the lower edgesof placards or drawing boards from slipping outwardly when placedagainst the inclined carton or bracing panel.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the carton member is formedwith two rectangular side wall panels, 1 and 2, relatively closelyspaced, and two connecting edge wall panels 3 and 4 at the respectiveupper and lower edges of the carton, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, whichshow the carrying handles uppermost. The upright edges of the carton areclosed by a fixed wall 5 along one edge and a hinged closure 6 along theother edge. This closure preferably has a hinged flap 7, having a snapfastener element 8 cooperating with a companion element 9 on the sidewall panel 1. The ends of the flap 7 are preferably cut away on an angleto facilitate operation of the hinged closure.

The carrying structure for the carton comprises a pair of panels 11 and12 connected by a narrow panel 13 along which the edge wall panel 4 ofthe carton is disposed. As viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper edges ofthe panels 11 and 12 terminate in panel members 14 and 15 having fingeropenings 16 and 17 respectively formed in these members. The panelmembers 14 and 15 are hinged to their attached panels along hinge lines14a and 15a.

The panels 11 and 12 are preferably comparable in size with the sidepanels 1 and 2 of the carton and may be swung apart along the hingedconnection of these panels with their connecting panel 13. The side Wallpanel 2 of the carton is preferably secured to the outer panel 12. Thismay be done conveniently by rivets 18, 13, placed close to the hingeline 15a between panel 15 and panel 12. The major contacting portions ofthe panel 12 and carton side panel 2, if desired, may be securedtogether by suitable adhesive. Also, the connecting panel 13 and edgeWall 4 of the carton are preferably secured together by adhesive.

Means are provided for limiting the swinging movement of panel 11outward from the carton. For this purpose a foldable panel member havingpanels 20 and 21 hinged at 22 is secured to the panel 11 at one side andto the carton at the other side. For the purpose of securing the foldedpanel member to panel 11 a short flap 23 hinged to the panel 20 at 23ais secured to panel 11 by rivets 24, preferably with the hinge 23a inproximity with the hinge 1411 between flap 14 and panel 11.

The opposite panel 21 of the foldable panel member preferably has twonarrow, foldable panels 25 and 26 carried on its edge. Narrow panel 25has a width approximately that of the outside dimension of the carton sothat its hinge line 25a is disposed along the corner of the carton, seeFIG. 2. The narrow panel 26 preferably extends between the wall panel 2and the panel 12 and is placed in this position prior to riveting thetwo panels 2 and 12 together. By thus securing the edge portion of thefoldable panel member between the carton and its adjacent panel 12 asingle row of rivets is all that is required and the foldable panelmember is in effect secured to the edge portion of the carton. Ifdesired, the narrow panel 25 may be adhesively secured to the cartonedge wall 3.

For the purpose of preventing outward slippage of placards placedagainst the inclined panels, when the construction is placed in theposition shown in FIG. 5, retaining elements or abutments are formed oneach of the flaps 14 and 15. These abutments, indicated at 28 and 29 maybe formed in any one of various manners but, as herein shown, theabutments are formed from suitable strips of wood held in place by anouter liner sheet adhesively attached to the flaps.

Placards or the like, indicated at 30 in FIGS. 2 and 5 may be storedwithin the carton and there retained while the carton is beingtransported by hand or otherwise. When it is desired to utilize theplacards, either for display or other purposes, the construction isplaced in expanded position, as shown in FIG. 5, with the flaps 14 and15 disposed flat and extending outward. The hinged closure 6 is thenopened to give access to the placards which may then be removed singlyor in groups, as de sired, and placed upon either flap 14 or 15 inposition between the retaining abutment and the adjacent panel.

It will be readily seen that by cutting away the ends of the securingflap 7, the ends of this flap may readily move between the panel 11 andcarton wall 1 even though the passage is constricted, particularlyadjacent the hinge 13 between the panels 11 and 1.

The panel 12, secured to wall panel 2 of the carton, may be consideredas an integral part of the carton as it tends to strengthen the cartonwall and the carton walls may thus be formed of relatively thin sheetmaterial. From a functional point of view the two carton walls 1 and 2,the latter being reinforced by panel 12, may be considered as mainpanels of the construction, and bracing panel 11 may be considered to bea supplemental panel.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides aconvenient carrying means for cards, dra'wing boards or other sheetmaterial and, when it is desired to support one or more sheets or boardsfor display or for working thereon, it is a simple matter to invert thecarrier, spread the fiaps 15 and 17 outwardly and move panel 11 to itsbracing position, thus forming an easel. The hinged closure of thecarton may then be opened and one or more sheets removed and placedagainst either panel 11 or panel 12 where the lower edges of the sheetswill be retained from outward slippage by the abutments 28 and 29. Upontermination of the need for supporting sheets on the inclined panels,the sheets may quickly be reinserted into the carton and the panel 11moved against the carton wall 1. The construction will again be turnedwith the panels 16 and 17 uppermost and thus the construction will bereconverted into a carrier.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of theinvention, various changes may be made in the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desiredthat the present embodiment be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, reference being bad to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined carton and display easel formed of foldable sheet materialand comprising a. tubular carton member formed of two main panels,relatively closely spaced,

and joined along two opposite edges by narrow edge wall panels, at leastone of the other two edges of the carton being open to provide access tothe interior, one of the main panels having a flap hinged along one ofthe edge walls of the carton, a supplemental panel disposed fiatwisealong the other main panel and hingedly connected to the carton alongthe opposite edge wall, such supplemental panel having its free edgeextending approximately to the first mentioned edge wall, a hinged flapon the free edge of the supplemental panel, and a foldable membercomprising two hinged panel sections having their free edges hinged tothe supplemental panel and to the adjacent edge portion of the carton tolimit the angular distance to which the supplemental panel may be swungaway from the adjacent main panel, whereby the carton may be supportedin an inclined position on a fiat surface.

2. A combined carton and display easel formed of sheet material andcomprising a tubular carton member formed of two main panels, relativelyclosely spaced, and joined along their upper and lower edges, when ineasel forming position, by narrow upper and lower edge-wall panels, oneof the other edges of the carton being open to provide access to theinterior, a supplemental panel disposable fiatwise along one main paneland hingedly connected to the carton along the upper edge-wall panel,such supplemental panel having its free edge extending approximately tothe lower edge-wall panel, and a foldable member comprising two hingedpanel sections of substantially equal width having their outer edgeshinged to the supplemental panel and to the lower portion of the cartonto limit the angular distance to which the supplemental panel may beswung away from the adjacent main panel, whereby the carton may besupported in an inclined easel forming position on a flat surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

